Minister Planas underlines the opportunities of the new CAP for the fruit and vegetable sector

Planas stressed that the new CAP maintains the recognition of the specificity of typically Mediterranean sectors, such as fruit and vegetables. He therefore emphasised that the current specific line of aid for this sector - the financing of operational programmes of producer organisations without a budget ceiling - will be maintained. The minister pointed out that, in 2020, the ministry made aid worth 275.5 million euros financed by the EU available for this, and assured that this amount should be the base, and that more use should be made of this line of financing in the future.

The minister also referred to the achievement of a historical demand of the sector, which is that from next year - and progressively - it can be included in the CAP basic payment scheme.

Luis Planas today inaugurated Fruit Attraction 2022, a benchmark event for the sector that is the main tool for the global marketing of fruit and vegetables. During the event, the minister stressed that fruit and vegetables are the most important agricultural sector in Spain, in terms of production, added value, export vocation, employment generation and keeping rural areas populated. He stressed that the quality and excellence of production, behind which there is a great deal of hard work by farmers, has made Spain an international benchmark in this sector.

Specifically, Spain's fruit and vegetable production stands at around 28 million tonnes, with an average production value of more than 15 billion euros, which makes Spain the leading producer in the European Union and the third largest in the world. In addition, it has a clear export vocation, as more than half of the production is destined for foreign markets, worth almost 18.4 billion euros giving a positive trade balance of more than 13.4 billion euros in 2021.

In relation to the effects that adverse weather phenomena have had on fruit and vegetable production, the minister pointed out that the agricultural insurance system guarantees producers' income. In fact, this year, up to the end of August, agricultural insurance payments to the fruit sector have reached the record figure of 245 million euros.

In this respect, he recalled that the ministry has recently approved an extraordinary increase in support, with the result that 275.7 million euros will this year go towards subsidising agricultural insurance. In particular, the subsidy has been increased by 10 points for insurance taken out since 1 September this year, which includes insurance for loquat and other fruit trees.

In addition, he recalled the aid recently approved by the Government to compensate the losses caused by the frost last April in the fruit centres of the producer organisations with 12 million euros.

The minister also highlighted the opportunity to differentiate production and provide it with greater added value, in line with commitments to quality and sustainability. In this area, he encouraged progress in ecological matters, where Spain is already one of the major European producers.

Non official translation